Control mechanism for dispensing apparatus



April 26, 1938.

Jv M. DAYTON CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed July 10,1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l 53% Jam 56 MUD/VYTOA April 1933- J. M. DAYTONCONTROL MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed July 10, 19:5Sheets-Sheet 2 :3 3mm DU diswsa/klDflyro/v Patented Apr. 26, 1938 PATENTOFFICE CONTROL MECHANISM FOR DISPENSING APPARATUS James M. Dayton,Torrington, Conn.

Application July 10, 1935, Serial No. 30,725

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in dispensing apparatus having amechanism for controlling the resetting and dispensing operationsthereof.

One of the features of the present invention is the provision in adispensing apparatus having an indicator system and a discharge member,of means for preventing release of the discharge member, preparatory todispensing, under control of the indicator system.

Another feature is the provision in a dispensing apparatus having anindicator system including resetting devices, and a discharge member, ofmeans for preventing release of the discharge member, preparatory todispensing, under control of the resetting devices.

A further feature is the provision in a dispensing apparatus having anindicator system including a concealing shutter and resetting devicesfor closing the shutter and effecting a complete resetting beforeefiecting a reopening of the shutter, of means for preventing release ofthe discharge member, preparatory to dispensing, under control of theresetting devices, until the indicator has been reset. I With these andother features as objects in view, as will more fully appearhereinafter, an illustrative manner of practicing the invention is shownon the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevation, with parts in section, of a dispensingapparatus, in the specific illustration a gasoline dispensing pump.

Fig. 2 is an upright sectional view of a part of Fig. 1 on a largerscale.

Fig. 3 is a section on lines 33 of Figs. 2 and 4.

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on line 44 of Fig. 3 in two positionsof operation.

In the drawings, the illustrative gasoline pump has a lower casing l0containing a motor-pump assembly II for drawing gasoline from the usualunderground tank and delivering it through the conduit l2 and the meterH! to a. hose 14 which is provided at its end with a nozzle l5controlled by a valve l6 actuatable by a trigger lever IT. This casingI0 is also illustrated as containing the switch l8 for controlling themotor of the assembly H in the usual way, under control of a handle I9by a link 20.

The pump also has an upper casing 2| containing an indicator systemwhich is illustrated as including indicator devices displayed at thewindows 22, 23 for designating the quantity dispensed by volume andprice, according to the actuation of the indicator driving shaft 24 bythe meter 3; a resetting device for restoring the indicator devices tozero including the handle 25 secured to a shaft 28 which passes into theupper casing 2i and has fixed thereto a gear 27 for producing theresetting, and a disc 29 which will be more closely describedhereinafter. The system also includes shutters S for obscuring theindicator devices during the course of resetting, and means for movingshutters which are illustrated as including the cam pieces 28. Such anindicator system is described and shown in my copending applicationSerial No. 20,501, filed May 8, 1935, to which reference is made for amore complete detailing of a system of the type.

The upper casing 2| also supports the HOZZIG' r' hook 311 having a nose30a which extends into an aperture 3i of the trigger guard 32 and thusprovides a definite location at which the attendant may position thenozzle between dispensing operations. The casing 2i likewise has an aperture 33 for receiving the end of the nozzle l5 when the latter islocated upon the hook 30.

The trigger guard 32 has a toe 34 for cooperation with the nose 35a ofthe latch 35 which has a pivot support 36, and is normally held readyfor engagement with the trigger guard by the spring 31. In theillustrated form, the toe 34 when in position extends inward through theslot 38 corresponding in length to the nose 30a in the casing 2i andthus the nozzle I5 is prevented from rotation about the hook 30 as anaxis; while the latch nose 35a projects outwardly therethrough for anadequate engagement with the toe 34 without requiring an undesirablylong toe.

The disc 29 on the resetting shaft 26 has an eccentric pin 39. A slideblock 4| has a slot 42 which embraces the shaft 26, and supports theinner and outer cam pieces 42, 43, which are secured by screws 44, at auniform spacing to provide the cam slot 45 which closely receives thepin 38.

A tube 46 is secured to the block 4!, and telescopingly receives a latchbolt 41 which is guarded for sliding movement by a keeper 48 inside thecasing 2|. The belt 47 has a slot 5| which receives a pin 56 fixed inthe tube 46. A spring 49 tends to maintain the extension of thetelescoping link comprised by the tube 46 and the bolt 41.

The operation of this illustrated form is as follows:

At the close of a dispensing operation, the indicator system revealsthrough the windows 22 and 23 the quantity which has been dispensed, by

course no benefit of this will accrue to the atvolume and price. Thecustomer pays according to the price indication; and is afiorded a checkthrough observation of the volume indication. The attendant hangs thehose nozzle upon the hook a andopens the switch I8 by moving the leverl9. This operation of immobilizing the hose nozzle and stopping themotor may be ac complished in any order. When the hose nozzle is placedupon the hook nose 30a, the toe 34 engages the inclined upper surface ofthe latch nose a and pushes the latch inward about its pivot 36. As thereset knob or handle 25 is in its normal position, the latch bolt 4'! isout of the path of the latch 35, and the latter can move freely. Whenthe nozzle attains the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the latch 35 isdrawn back into engaging position above the toe 34, by the action ofspring 31. 7

It will be noted that resetting to zero may be accomplished at once;although it is customary to await the arrival of the next customer.

Before beginning the next dispensing operation, it is necessary to (l)reset the indicator system, (2) present the hose nozzle end l5 in thereceptacle provided for or by the new customer, (3) start the pump, inthis illustrative form. The pump may be started at any time, and is inentire independence of the rest of the system. It will further be notedthat the trigger I? may be operated so that liquid will flow, althoughof tendant or to the customer.

Normally, the attendant will reset the indicator by rotating the shaft26 by handle 25, giving the latter a full single revolution. Thisoperates in the usual manner through the gear 21 and associated parts toreset the indicator system; being accompanied by a movement of the cams28 which produce a movement of the shutter means S for obscuring theindicator during the course of the resetting. This shutter means is notopened again until resetting is completed. On some 00- casions,attendants have failed to complete a resetting, or have moved the handle25 through more than a single revolution, so that the shutter .is inobscuring position during delivery. This has no effect upon the movementof the indi cator system, but the shutters prevent the attendant andcustomer from determining the quantity which has been dispensed. Theowner of the pump is protected by the usual totals registry as indicatedin my copending application; but the pump attendant has no recourseagainst the customer.

According to the present invention, however, the start of the resettingmovement of shaft 26 is accompanied by the rotation of the disc 29, sothat one leg of the V-shaped portion a of the track or slot 45 istraversed by the pin 39. While the reset handle 25 has been at rest inits normal position of stoppage, the parts are in the full line positionof Fig. 3, with the pin 39 at the bottom of the V 45a. As the pin 39 iscarried in rotation, however, this produces a sliding movement of theblock 40, as the pin bears against the walls 42 and 43 of the cam track45, and thus the tube'46 and latch bolt 47 are moved toward the right inFig. 3, so that the latch bolt is presented (dotted line position ofFig. 3) 0 across the path of rocking movement of the latch 35.Therefore, if the nozzle 15 is on the hook nose 30a with its toe 34engaged by the nose 35a of the latch 35 (position of Fig. 2), the latchbolt 41 prevents a movement of the latch 35 which would release thenozzle, so long as the pin 39 is engaged in the circular portion of thecam track 45. It will be seen from Fig. 3 that this constitutes themajor portion of the revolution of shaft 26; and during this time, thefull resetting is accomplished, the shutter means is moved to obscuringposition and there maintained. Finally, at the end of the singlerevolution of shaft 26, the disc 29 presents pin 39 against the otherleg of the V 45a and thus produces a movement of the block 40 from theposition of Fig. 4 (dotted lines in Fig. 3) back to the position of Fig.5 (full lines in Fig. 3), and therewith the latch bolt 41 is retractedfrom position in the path of the latch 35. Thus, the latch is releasedwhen the resetting is completed, and the attendant may now lift the hosenozzle from the hook 39a and withdraw the nozzle end from the aperture33 without difficulty.

In the event that the hose nozzle has been improperly positioned on thehook nose 30a, so that the latch 35 is in a depressed position (such asindicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2), the move- .ment or" the block 40and tube 46 toward the right (Fig. 3) is accompanied by the engagementof the latch bolt 4'! against the side of the latch 35, and thereafterthe telescoping connection yields to avoid breakage of parts.

Thus it will be seen that when the attendant properly follows theprescribed routine, he does not regain control of the hose nozzle foruseful. dispensing operations until the routine is completed; and he hasno unjust cause of complaint to the efiect that the resetting mechanismdoes not operate properly on his pump.

It will be noted, further, that the suspension of the hose nozzle uponthe hook nose 30a does not prevent the attendant, if the customer and heso desire, from giving a further delivery to the same customer, andestablishing a total for the two partial deliveries which is thequantity set up at windows 22 and 23, as the dispensing operation inthis phase of the matter, may be regarded as the interval and operationsbetween two resettings.

It is obvious that the invention is not limited to the form ofconstruction shown and described,

but that it may be practiced in many ways within the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. A dispensing apparatus including a movable dispensing member, meansfor measuring the quantity dispensed and means for indicating the same,resetting devices for the indicating means, devices for supporting saidmember in one position, and means controlled by the resetting devicesfor holding said member against removal from said one position, saidholding means including a latch member interposed in the path of removalmovement of said dispensing member, means actuated by the resettingdevices for de-, taining the latch member against releasing thedispensing member during resetting, and a resilient lost-motionconnection in said actuated means for permitting resetting regardless ofthe position of said latch member and being eflecduring resetting andreleasing the same at the completion of resetting, said controlled meansincluding a latching member moved into and out of the path of movementof the latch and positively moved by the resetting devices into workingposition at the beginning of the resetting movement.

3. A dispensing apparatus including a hose and nozzle and means formoving fluid therethrough, a meter for the quantity dispensed and meansfor indicating the same, resetting devices for the indicating means, anozzle hook, a nose on the nozzle, a resilient latch depressible by thenose while the nozzle is being placed on the hook and engaging to holdthe nozzle in seated position on the hook, and control devices includingan element positively moved by the resetting devices at the beginning ofthe resetting movement, said control devices also including a partmovable into and out of the path of movement of the latch and therebybeing effective upon positive movement of said element for maintainingthe latch in holding engagement with the nozzle.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3, in which the control devices includeyielding devices for permitting yielding of said part if the latch isnot in holding position when the resetting devices are actuated.

5. A dispensing apparatus including a casing, a hose and nozzle andmeans for moving fluid therethrough, a meter for the quantity dispensedand means for indicating the same, resetting devices for the indicatingmeans, a hook on said casing for supporting the nozzle, said casinghaving an aperture adjacent the hook into which the end of the nozzlemay be extended, a latch for detaining the nozzle on the hook with itsend in said aperture, and devices controlled by the resetting devicesfor maintaining the latch in holding engagement with the nozzle, saiddevices including a latch bolt movable into and out of the path ofmovement of said latch, and a latch bolt actuating means movedpositively with the resetting devices for projecting the latch bolt intothe path of movement of the latch during the course of resetting and forwithdrawing and holding said bolt out of the said path at the completionof resetting, said apparatus being constructed and arranged for the freepositioning and removal of the nozzle prior to and upon completion ofthe resetting movement of said resetting devices.

6. A dispensing apparatus including a casing, a hose and nozzle andmeans for moving fluid therethrough, a meter for the quantity dispensedand means for indicating the same, resetting devices for the indicatingmeans, and means controlled by the resetting devices for holding thenozzle against movement to dispensing position during the course ofresetting, said devices including a latch bolt and a latch boltactuating means moved with the resetting devices for projecting thelatch bolt into the path of movement of the latch during the course ofresetting and for withdrawing said bolt out of said path at thecompletion of resetting, and a resilient lost-motion connection forpermitting movement of the actuating means without correspondingmovement of the latch bolt when the latch is not in position for saidprojecting movement of the latch bolt.

7. A dispensing apparatus including a casing, a hose and nozzle andmeans for moving fluid therethrough, said nozzle having an extensionmember, support means on the casing for supporting said nozzle in aposition in which the extension member projects through a slot in saidcasing, a latch pivotally mounted on the casing and having a noseopposite the upper end of the slot and cooperative with the extensionfor holding the nozzle in fixed position, and devices controlled by theresetting devices for maintaining the latch in holding engagement withthe nozzle.

8. A dispensing apparatus including a movable dispensing member, meansfor measuring the quantity dispensed, an indicator system includingindicator devices driven by said measuring means and resetting devicesfor returning the indicator devices to an initial position, devices forsupporting said member in a non-dispensing position, means controlled bysaid indicator system for preventing removal of said dispensing memberfrom said non-dispensing position, said preventing means including amovable latch and a latch bolt for projection into the path of movementof the latch at the beginning of the resetting movement, said apparatusbeing constructed and arranged for the free positioning and removal ofthe dispensing member prior to and upon completion of the resettingmovement of said resetting devices.

9. A dispensing apparatus including a movable dispensing member, meansfor measuring the quantity dispensed, an indicator system includingindicator devices driven by the measuring means and resetting devicesfor returning the in dicator devices, devices for supporting said memberin a non-indicating position; said preventing means including aneccentric pin carried in revolution with the resetting devices, a cammember actuated by said pin and receiving therefrom a movement in onedirection at the beginning of resetting and a movement in the otherdirection at the end of resetting and being held by said pin againstmovement during the course of resetting, a latch bolt connected withsaid cam mem ber to be moved therewith, and means controlled by saidlatch bolt for engaging the dispensing member.

10. A dispensing apparatus as in claim 9, in which the latch bolt has aresilient telescoping connection, and the means controlled by said latchbolt comprises a member moving into and out of the path of movement ofsaid latch bolt.

JAMES M. DAYTON.

